Bicycle-seat-post clamp.



Patented June I7, |902.

J. HHB/xsf'. BICYCLE SEAT PUST CLAMP.

(Application led Nov. 18, 1901.)

FlGJ..

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES JULIUS H. RAST, OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

BICYCLE-SEAT-POST CLAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 702,589, dated J' une17, 1902. Application'led November 18, 1901. Serial No. 82,745. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

zen of the United States of America, residing at the city of Charleston,in the' county of Charleston, State of South Carolina, have inventedanew and Improved Bicycle-Seat- Post Clamp, of which the followingis aspecification.

This invention has for its more special object to provide a simple andeiicient clamp adapted to safely sustain the riders seat or ysaddle atany desired height on a bicycleframe, while permitting very quick andconvenient removal of the saddle to lessen the danger of the bicyclebeing stolen, and also to allow infiation of its pneumatic tires whenthe seat-post is fitted as a pump inaccordance with my prior UnitedStates Patent, No. 668,214, which shows a seat-post-clamp device, uponwhich the present invention is an improvement.

The invention will rst be described and then will be particularlydefined in claims hereinafter set forth.

Referenceis made to the accompanyingV drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in wl1ich--4 Figure 1 is a sectional side elevationshowing the improved clamp applied to a seat-post fitted as a pumpadapted for inliating Vthe bicycle wheel-tires. Fig. 2 is an enlargedbottom perspective view of the clamp removed from the seat-post andbicycle-frame. Fig. 3 is a front detail vertical sectional elevationshowing how the improved seat-post clamp locks into opposite sides ofthe bicycle-frame. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional plan of the clamp, takenon the line w x in Fig. 3. perspective view of a preferred latch-boltsocket which I propose to pin and solder to the main collar of theclamp. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional side elevation showing the specialadaptation of my improved seatpost clamp for sustaining a.quickly-removable spring seat-post at any desired height in -a bijcycle-frame, and Fig. 7 illustrates the mau.-v

ner of inflatiug a bicycle-tire by using the pump seat-post of Fig. 1 ofthe drawings.v

The improved seat-post clamp has a suitable collar which may be made invariousways, adapting it to be fastened against vertical movement uponthe stem 1 of a bicycle y seat-post. Be it known that I, J ULIUS H.RAST, a citi-l Fig. 5 is a 15 vof the latch-bolt.

I prefer to employ a split collar 2, having opposite ears or lugs3 3,into which an ordinary clamping-bolt 4 is fitted. At its lower edge andat one side this collar 2 has a pendent lug or lip 5, preferably havingtwo Vopposite vertical shoulders 6 6r and a tapering or V-shaped point?.This lug 5 is adapted to fit into a correspondingly-shaped notch 8 .madein the top of the saddle-post-supportin g tube or portion 9 of abicycle-frame. side opposite the lugv5 the clamp-collar 2 has ahardened-steel bolt or pin 10, fitted into a pendent lug or socket-piece11 of the clampcollar 2. outer portion to give room around it in thesocket for a spiral spring 12, which normally forces the bolt toward orinto a latch-hole 13, made in the frame-tube 9 nearits upper end 'andpreferably about opposite the frame-notch 8, which receives thecollar-lug 5 above mentioned, Any suitable head 14 on the bolt 10permits quick and easy pulling of it from the frame-hole 13 when itis'desired to remove the seat-post and saddle from the bicycle-frame'..I purposely taper the inner end of the latchbolt 10 to give it acentral-point 15, specially Vintended to serve as a center punch toindicate the exact location to bore the latch-hole 13 in the frame-tube9 after the clamp-collark lug 5 is fitted into its frame-notch 8. I nowprefer to make the4 socket-piece 11 kseparate from the clamp-collar 2and with a iauge adapting it to be first pinned and then brazed to theoutside of the collargbut thecollar and socket maybe formed invonepiece, if so desired. l

In fitting my iniprovediseat-post clamp to abicycle, as shown in Figs. 1and 3 of the drawings, the collar2will bebolted uponthe seat-post stem1, and after the notch 8 has been cut or filed in the bicycle-frame tube9 the stem l is slippedinto said tube 9, and the bolt 10 will be drawnbackto allow the collar-lug 5to fully -entery the frame-notch 8,

.whereupon thehead 14 of the latch-bolt 10- will be struck'by a hammerto center-punch the outside of the frame-tube 9` by the point Theseat-post now will lbe withdrawn from the tube 9, which then will bebored at the center-punch mark to make the hole 13 at the exactplace toproperly receive the latch-bolt. The seat-post stem l At its IOO may nowbe replaced in the frame-tube 9, and the clamp-collar lug 5 will enterthe framenotch 8, and the bolt will lock into the frame-tube hole 13 andpositively prevent undesired upward jumping of the seat-post and saddlewhile they are positively locked against turning sidewise or laterallyon the frame by the collar-lug 5. The shoulders 6 6 of this lug arespecially provided to fully relieve the latch-bolt 10 and its frame-hole13 of all lateral strains, while more certainly preventing lateralswinging or turning movement of the riders saddle on the bicycle-frame.To remove the seat-post and saddle from the bicycle-frame, it only isnecessary to draw the latch-bolt 10 from the frame-hole 13 and then pullupward on the seat -post ori saddle to withdraw the post-stem 1 from theframetube 9. Vhen the saddle and seat-post are thus removed, they may beinverted, so that the saddle may be rested on the ground, and theflexible air-tube 1G, usually carried in the seat-post head 17, may bewithdrawn therefrom and may be externally coupled thereto and be coupledalso to a valve of the bicycle wheel-tire, as shown in Fig. 7 of thedrawings. The tire may now be easily and fully inflated by working thepump-piston 1S in the seat-post stein 1 by means of its rod 19, as morefully described in my prior patent, No. 668,214.

A specially-good feature of my invention is the facility it gives forfitting a spring seat-V post into the frame of a bicycle originallyhaving an ordinary rigid seat-post fastened by an internal expander.This is illustrated in Fig. f3 ot' the drawings, which shows that inthis case it is only necessary to remove the old rigid seat-post, withits expander,fr0m the bicycle-frame tube 9 and then clamp my improvedcollar 2 directly to the outside ot' the barrel or tube l in which isguided the vertically-yielding rod portion of the seat-post. This rod issustained in usual manner by springs 21 22 to allow it and the saddle itcarries to elastic-ally yield under the weight ot` the rider. Thisframe-tube 9 is of course to be notched at 3 to receive the collar-lug 5and is also oppositely bored at 13 to receive the latch-bolt 10 of theclamp-collar, substantially as hereinbefore described.

My improved seat-post clamp is evidently adapted for use on the stem ofa plain seatpost as well as on one fitted as a tire-intlating pump andou a spring-supported seat-post and saddle. In every case the seat-postand saddle may be almost instantly adjusted at any desired height on thebicycle-frame by vertically changing the position of the clampcollar 2on the seat-post stem. In every case also the seat-post and saddle maybe almost instantly removed from the bicycle-frame by first withdrawingthe latch-bolt 10 from the frame-tube f) and then simply lifting theseatpost from the bicycle-frame.

I am no t limited to the use of a springpressed bolt 10 as a means forlaterally center-marking the bicycle-frame and later engaging the boremade at said mark to prevent accidental detachment of the seat-post towhich the clamp-collar is fastened, as I may use any other device havinga conical or other suitable end which may by its lateral movement firstmark the bicycle-frame and later enter the hole or bore made at saidmark for vertically locking the seat-post to the bicycle-frame.

In the most complete form of the invention shown in the drawings theclamp-collar device has means, such as the lug 5, which interlocks withthe bicycle-frame to prevent lateral or sidewise turning of the saddleon the frame and also has a laterally-movable part, such as the bolt10,which is irst a framemarker and later enters the hole or bore made atsaid mark to prevent accidental vertical detachment of the seat-postfrom the bicycleframe.

I claim as my invention 1. Abicycle-seat-postclamp adaptedforfasteningat variable heights to the seat-post stem and having a laterally-movablepart adapted to mark the bicycle-frame for precisely indicating` theplace of boring said frame to later receive said laterally-movable part'for preventing accidental detachment of the seat-post from thebicycle-frame, substantially as described.

2. A bicycle-seat-post clam p adapted for fastening at variable heightsto the seat-post stem and comprising a collar having a part adapted tointerlock laterally with the bicycle-frame to prevent sidewise turningof the seat-post and saddle on the frame and also having alaterally-movable part adapted to mark the bicycle-frame for preciselyindicating the place of boring said frame to later receive saidlaterally-movable part for preventing accidental detachment of theseat-post and saddle from the bicycle-frame, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a bicycle-frame having a notch 8 and anoppositely-arranged hole 13, and a seat-post having a stem orspring-barrel entering the frame, of a collar 2, vertically adjustableon the seat-post or barrel and having a lug 5 adapted to the frame-notchS and also having a latch-bolt 10 and a spring 12 normally forcing saidbolt into the frame-hole 13 when the collar-lug 5 is engaged with theframe-notch S; said bolt being adapted when the lug 5 is tirst enteredinto the frame-notch 3 to mark the frame to precisely indicate the placefor boring the hole 13 which later receives it, substantially asdescribed.

JULIUS ll. RAST. Vitnesses:

HENRY M. QUALE, RUDOLPH C. VoIo'r.

